The Living Room has a wood burning stove for long winter evenings

The kitchen window makes a useful pass-through to the garden

The special pleasure of taking meals outdoors under the Jasmine vine

Sleeps 2-4

this cottage was fitted with the furniture from my parents’ pied-a-terre in New York City,

and is maintained as a period piece from the 1970′s.

The Balcony

is a special place, with a “spellbinding” and “timeless” view toward the east and north, perfect for enjoying the sunrise, then watching the swallows darting in the valley throughout the day, which give way at night to the owls and the bats with the star-spangled sky glittering over all. With four comfortable Bertoia chairs and a few small tables, this is the ideal spot to relax and recharge batteries, and even for meals.

The Master Bedroom

is furnished with a California King-size bed and a dressing table and chairs. Sliding patio doors give access to The Balcony, and all summer long there is a fine view from the bed of the sun rising.

The Landing

at the top of the stairs gives access to both bedroom and bathroom. Note that the door to the bedroom is up four steps and is of “medieval” height.

The Landing

One of the single beds in the house is on the landing. The large wardrobe for the house is also in this room, where lives the steam iron and ironing board, the vacuum cleaner, the hair drier and a full-length mirror.

The Marble Bathroom

has a bath with shower over, sink with marble surround, toilet and bidet. There is also an original meurtrier window in this room.

The Living Room

The cozy living room has comfortable seating, a fireplace with wood burning stove to cheer winter lets, and an excellent day bed hidden beneath lots of cushions. For cooler weather effective electrical radiators warm every room in the house.

The Living Room

also has a bookshelf full of interesting books, including modern literature, historical novels, cookbooks and nature guides, and a large drawer full of brochures to all the local attractions in the area. To the left is a wood storage chest to conceal the fuel for the stove.

The Kitchen

is fully furnished with a 4-burner (bottled) gas hob with gas oven and grill, refrigerator with freezer over, microwave, a smaller but still quiet dishwasher, a pantry and a wine cellar, plus sufficient dishes, cutlery and glasses, and a good batterie de cuisine, enough to cook for six people. There is also a dining table with seating for four. Cleaning tools for the house and a clothes airier are also kept in the kitchen.

The Kitchen

looks out over the garden and a ruined medieval inn to the north. The window over the sink often serves as a handy serving hatch to the garden dining area.

The Outdoor Dining Table

is covered by a Jasmine vine which provides shade from mid-morning, as well as a perch for the tiny tree frogs who may comment on your cooking, course by course as it emerges from the kitchen, though you never see them.

The Garden

is so private it becomes another room.

The entrance to the cottage

from the Rue Caterine is up 13 steps which wind between a small rock garden on the left and the ruins of a medieval inn on the right. The Jasmine at the end also shades the outdoor dining table.

The Empty Room

below the living room has one window, four electrical outlets/sockets, and two shelves. An artist’s studio? A writer’s den? A children’s play area? ?? Discuss your requirements so that we can provide some basic furniture to fulfill your dreams. nb This room is completely separate from the rest of the house, and is not suitable to use as a bedroom.

Guest comments

"What a stunningly peaceful place to come! We have never slept in such comfort, to awake to such views, and so peacefully.

We'll never forget the beautiful sunrises waking us all up each morning. The balcony on an evening when we finally get the little people down to bed was a delight – a beer / glass of wine in our hand and nothing to do but watch the swifts shooting about till the stars came out was a joy.

Night swimming, especially if you have a clear sky and a full moon, is just fab. Then come back and sit on the balcony and talk the night away, with some wine, an owl, cicadas and a warm breeze.

It was our intention to divide our time 40% relaxation and 60% exploring the area. Until we found THE BALCONY! What a tremendous view. And so peaceful. As our division of our week changed to 70% relaxation and 30% exploration there is nothing we can add to what has already been said.

[In May] The Nightingales have been beautiful, singing at night and all day."